Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-10-30
A WORKING GIRLS LIFE.
Experience of YOUng Woman
Who Was Fond of children.

it was that things happened you're
not quite so helpless yourself, and per-
haps can help others little.
My father was Il builder, and he
belonged to the Mechanics Associa-
ton, and we went to all the lectures
and things, and was public school
girl, and went right through the
course. l had a very good memory,
and though there was a great deal l
didn't understand, l supposed that
was the way, and that you could
always learn whether you understood
or not. 1 got through at 16. l was
always serious and joined the church
when ] was 70, and liked fairs and
the things you do in churches. and
was always busy. would like to
help mother, but she always said it
was more trouble to show me than to
do it herself three times over, and SO
| never learned much oil anything. /
could sew. She wouldn't have
machine for long time, because she
said nothing wasn't fit to be seen that
wasn't handmade but she loved to
tuck, and so came at last to a machine
and machine tucking. She wouldn't
have any but the finest, and so |
learned to do beautiful work on that.
When Twas Is father had paralytic
stroke, and when he didn't get any
better and mother had to look into
things, she found that the money had
been invested, most all of it, in some
mining stock, and that it was so far
below par, or whatever they call it,
that there was nothing to be done with
it. We had the house, and she made
up her mind to take boarders, and
went straight ahead and filed it full.
She had awful times with girls, but
she was a splendid cook, and she put
up all she made ON the table, and
kept running behind. I knew she
was half crazy over it, but she kept
right on, doing the best she could,
mortgaging the house and getting
deeper in all the time. She never let
me do anything but talk to the folks,
and little things, and used to think
I'd give anything not to have to talk
to them all, and hear the nonsense
and everything.
was %, when everything went all
at once; the mortgage foreclosed and
mother downcd with Il paralytic
shock when she knew it, and never
holding up her head again. She lived
five months. We'd moved into two
rooms with the things they would
hold. and sold all the rest, not to be
in debt, and there she died, and the
last words she said, ooh, Clarrissa
why didn't | teach you how to dc
something?"
was sort OF dazed myself. l
couldn't tell what to do. | wouldn't
90 in a store for l was always shy
and then Pm small, and that always
a great drawback to women wh have
to earn living. They wan; tall
snowy girls in stores. That kind get
along best in most anything.
thought and thought, and at last
settled that dressmaking would be
most respectable, and l went to one
who had always made our dresses.
never had liked her very much. She
had a sort of hard face, and l felt as
if she cared for nothing but money
but father had known her when she
was a girl and so / went and told her
She made great point OF taking mt
to learn the business without an!
money. Girls generally paid hel
something. she said, but rs was wht
1 way she'd let that go. | didn't dare
to tell her I'd got to learn as soon as
could because I'd spent most every
thing on the sickness and the funeral
but | went there the very next ola,
and began. had to part with mos
everything just to live, but at last
felt dared to try to fit and cut b.
myself, and l took dress at home
It gave satisfaction and brought m'
one or two more, and then l wa'
asked to 60 out and ! got at last quit
round of custom.
The trouble was this: | sewed beau
tifullv, but somehow l hadn't tn
right knack, and my things looke'
stiff. What was good for was t
turn ard press and contrive. 1t too
lust as much time and strength as tn
making. but / couldn't get the sam
pay. At last it somehow settled itscl
that | went to two or three places jus
for that, and was always making oil
dresses over. There was one house
the best on my list, where l went
great deal, and | used to envy tn
nurse. She had been there seve
wears, and she had nice room, an
the children loved her, and she wa
next to their mother to them. Sh
went with them to the park, and OF
to the country, and she saw to thei
pretty clothes, and it seemed to me
was good life, great deal bette
than mine. l loved children, bu
never had chance at them or any
thing else. l lived in an attic. room
and it seemed as if could never ge
ahead enough to have anything or b
anything again as long as l lived.
grew more and more miserable
and at last one day l tainted on tn
way home, and was gone SO long the
thought me dead. | couldn't rally
and they took me to a hospital, an
there | staid.
'It's q case of LIBERALIZATION. on
of the doctors said to another, and
wondered what he meant. found 9
last that it was nothing but not hay
ing anything to live with left in you
and that it came to folks that hadn
ANYTHING in particular to live for, an
were sad and silent, and so eat up a
their life. A nurse told me that g
was that way once" she said. 81
YOU want to live and really be aliv
YOU must do something that you reall
care for. Now, what is it?" 81 don
know" said. 81 love little childre
and I'd like to be nurse, but it ism
respectable, and can't disgrace a
my folks"
How she laughed. and as 81
laughed somehow 1 couldn't help b,
smile, too; but stuck to it. "You',
alady," l said. "What is perfect
plain, though, you choose to be
nurse. You don't know anythir
about what girls say to you--girls,
mean, in stores, and all that: The
would not speak to me. ! couldn't
with anybody" "Who do you {
with now ?" said she. l had to ste
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